The bill would require that a student be homeschooled for two years prior to applying for the scholarship. The student would need a score of 26 on the ACT test or 1200 on the SAT test (math plus verbal) while being homeschooled.

The legislature created the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship program in 2003. Details of how the program was to be implemented, however, were left to the Board of Regents. Unfortunately, the regents put rules into force that locked home schoolers out of the program. HB 1160 would fix this.

The scholarship can provide $5,000 over four years for a South Dakota resident attending one of 18 institutions of higher education in South Dakota. For more details about the program, including other eligibility rules, click here.